- The first one, even with all its well-known shortcomings, was "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kyosaki. It opened my eyes to "there's another option out there".
- Benjamin Franklin's autobiography (translated into modern English).
- PG's "Hackers and Painters" (why I joined this forum).
- Tim Ferris's "Four Hour Work Week" (has to be taken with a gigantic grain of salt, but has many very helpful and practical tips and ideas.)
- "Mastery" by George Leonard
- "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
And finally (and I don't want to turn this into a political flamewar, "grain of salt" applies here as well, etc, etc) but the book that had the most influence on me was "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Unlike all the others on the list above, it's a work of fiction, but I think it is the best at capturing and romanticizing the joy and euphoria that you feel when you build something that works.
I would add: The Entrepreneur's Manual: Business Start-Ups, Spin-Offs, and Innovative Management by Richard M. White. It is out of print and by Chilton (the auto manual maker) and is dated, but a very fun read. Business is nothing new as this book will point out.
C'mon, it's not credible but it's a popular book that gets people to shift their perspective on money (I read it in 8th grade). I think it deserves recognition for that, even if the rest of Kiyosaki's stuff is pure shill.
- Benjamin Franklin's autobiography (translated into modern English).
- PG's "Hackers and Painters" (why I joined this forum).
- Tim Ferris's "Four Hour Work Week" (has to be taken with a gigantic grain of salt, but has many very helpful and practical tips and ideas.)
- "Mastery" by George Leonard
- "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
And finally (and I don't want to turn this into a political flamewar, "grain of salt" applies here as well, etc, etc) but the book that had the most influence on me was "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Unlike all the others on the list above, it's a work of fiction, but I think it is the best at capturing and romanticizing the joy and euphoria that you feel when you build something that works.